


The pub quiz

by Daily_Scenarios



Series: If Robert had been there [3]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M, the belle and jamie affair, we all know the reveal would've been better with robron being there, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:08:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24496216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daily_Scenarios/pseuds/Daily_Scenarios
Summary: what if Robert (and obviously robron) had been there for this pub quiz and the drama that followed?
Relationships: Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden
Series: If Robert had been there [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1702381
Comments: 7
Kudos: 51





	The pub quiz

“Come on Aaron, it'll be fun!” - smiled Robert trying to persuade his husband. He was going on about this pub quiz ever since Bob announced it, and Aaron was fed up with it. That's all Robert was talking about. Gently slipping it into conversation EVERY TIME he had the chance. If Aaron didn't find it annoying it would've been quite cute. - “Please.” - he said keeping his hands on Aaron's waist trapping him in the corner of their kitchen.

“Robert, I told ya, I don't fancy it.” - said Aaron trying to squirm his way out of it, literally as he kept pushing Robert's hands off.

“But we never really go out.” - he pouted letting his hands drop back to his sides, allowing Aaron to walk a few metres away, putting some distance between them.

“What do ya mean we never go out? I took you to that bar last week. And we tried that restaurant you were on about ever since Jimmy mentioned it.” - he rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, and those were nice but... it's a pub quiz, Aaron! You don't remember how good we were back in the days?” - he asked smirking.

“Back in the days...” - he scoffed – “You say that like it was decades ago.” - he laughed.

“Feels like it.” - he sighed, then after Aaron didn't give him any replies he tried again. - “Come on, just go there and we'll see.”

“Fine, if it stops you whining.”

“I'm not whining!”

“Yeah right...” - said Aaron rolling his eyes again while he grabbed his coat. - “You wanna go or not?” - he asked halfway out the door. Robert didn't need asking twice.

* * *

Once they were at the pub, looking at the tables already settled for the teams Aaron quickly checked the people already sitting at their own table, and he started grinning. He knew they wouldn't fit anywhere. Robert surely had to see that as well.

“Right... so are you secretly a doctor which is quite off-putting, or have you got a part-time job at the vet's?” - he asked turning to his husband who was busy ordering two pints from Charity and clearly didn't pay enough attention to Aaron.

“What?” - he asked confused while he took a sip from his beer, offering the other glass to Aaron.

“Look around Robert there's no team we would fit in. I don't think you'd fancy joining the what's their face in the corner.” - he said nodding to the group of young men and women. Robert grimaced at the idea, scanning the room.

“Well, why don't we join Tracy and Dawn?” - asked Robert finally.

“Yeah mate if you don't want us in the same team.” - laughed Aaron.

“What?”

“Their team is under 30 or something.” - he said tossing his hand up in the air – “Ellis was going on about it at the yard the other day. I only half-listened but he did repeat it a few times.” - he said with a fake smile.

“I'm sure nobody would care if...”

“You're 34.” - laughed Aaron.

“Cheers.” - huffed Robert.

“You might wanna join the lovely ladies and gents in the front row.” - he said pointing to the clearly only over 60 group.

“Oi!” - said Robert hurt as he showed Aaron away a bit.

“Okay, okay.” - he laughed – “Sorry I couldn't resist.”

“Easy for you to say you're not even 30.” - he said sulking.

“Come on Robert it was a joke. You know I don't give a shit about how old you are.” - he said trying to comfort him. He knew it was a touchy subject.

“What if we create our own team?”

“You can't.” - piped in Bob. - “Sorry lads couldn't help but overhear. The group must have at least 4 members.” - he said before he opened the night leaving Robert and his surprised face alone to mull it over.

“Oh right then we're just gonna sit here listening, shall we?” - he asked clearly in a mocking way.

“Oi, don't be rude.” - said Aaron sitting next to him. - “It doesn't matter.”

“It does.” - sighed Robert.

“It wouldn't have been like last time, Ellis said the teams had to come up with questions themselves and every round would be about those questions. What would've been our speciality?”

“I don't know.... cars?” - asked Robert shrugging.

“Maybe.” - smiled Aaron. - “Tell you what.” - he said seeing how miserable his husband was. - “We'll join next time.”

“You mean that?” - he asked with sparkling eyes.

“Yeah, if you stop being moody and start enjoying your pint.” - he said whispering to him while the quiz went on.

* * *

They were almost ready to leave, not really interested in the whole quiz anymore when the drama started. Jamie and Belle? Having an affair? And it's all out in the open? Their private messages have been made public like that? That was a lot. The village didn't have a scandal like that in years to gossip about. The idea of the quiz pretty much died the minute it all went down, and everybody was left gobsmacked.

“Why did I bother with those questions.... if I'd known the night would be ruined..” - they heard Tracy.

“It's hardly what matters now.” - said Dawn trying to make her shut her mouth.

“I didn't see that one coming.” - said Robert still not knowing what to think.

“With a married man and all...” - scoffed Charity deciding it was a good opportunity to jump into other's conversation. She said it like she's never done anything remotely questionable. Aaron kept looking at her and when it was clear to him she wanted an answer, he took a breath, gulping down his pint before looking at her.

“Hardly one to talk am I.” - he said shrugging before he nudged Robert to go outside. Gossipping wasn't his style. At least gossipping with Charity wasn't.

They went outside, looking at all the guests and villagers making their way out, clearly talking about what just happened. Paddy was among them.

“I can't flipping believe it.” - he said walking over. - “All this time. Right under my nose.” - he said clearly angry. - “And with Jamie.... he's... he...he's married!” - he stuttered.

“So?” - asked Robert. - “Affairs happen.”

“Should've known you said something like that.” - he shot back.

“Yeah? And who's to say it won't last? If they stick together.” - said Aaron obviously upset himself.

“That's not what usually happens.” - said Paddy completely oblivious to the fact that Aaron took it to heart.

“Yeah? Worked out for us.... in the end.” - he said taking a glance at Robert who smiled back at him.

“And do you remember all the misery and pain it caused?”

“Okay, I think we're gonna go home now, come on Aaron.” - said Robert before his husband said something both of them will regret later on. He knew Aaron wouldn't be quiet... not for long, but he managed to hold himself back until they were in the Mill again.

“After all these years....” - he started as he paced around the room. - “After all these years and he still feels like that... I... “

“Hey, it's about Jamie and Belle, not us.” - said Robert.

“Yeah, but we were the same.” - he said finally stopping and taking a seat.

“No, we weren't.”

“Well not entirely obviously... but still. Affair's an affair.” - he said shrugging. Robert didn't know what to say so he tried to change the subject.

“Bit of a shock.... but not that big... if you think about it.” - he said sitting on the couch next to Aaron.

“How'd ya mean?” - asked Aaron not quite following. - “You said you didn't see it coming.”

“Well I mean they're both young, Belle is a gorgeous young lady and let's face it much more suitable for Jamie than his wife.... even if they have a kid.” - he said and only stopped when he heard Aaron scoffing.

“Thought about that a lot did ya?”

“Well, not a lot but... it's obvious innit?”

“If you say so.” - he said shaking his head.

“What? You were never a people's person.” - pointed out Robert. - “Trust me, in hindsight, it's not that surprising.”

“I'm not sure Andrea would agree with ya.” - he laughed relaxing.

“Yeah, I'm sure she wouldn't.”

“You know the pub would've seen a lot worse if it was me and you. And I'm not even talking about back in the days.” - said Robert deliberately avoiding the word affair.

“What?”

“Those texts you sent me when I was in that meeting last month? Remember? I'm blushing now just thinking about them.” - he laughed. - “And we haven't even talked about the pictures...” - he added raising his eyebrows.

“It wasn't that bad.”

“No I wouldn't use the word bad... it was... hot.”

“Alright, you can stop mocking me.”

“No, I'm serious. I liked it. But you know that.” - said Robert with a knowing look.

“Yeah, I guess it would'be been quite embarrassing if those were made public.” - chuckled Aaron.

“I remember the first time I got you to text me like that.”

“God I was so embarrassed.” - said Aaron rubbing his hand through his face. - “I was up in my room me Mum was working at the bar... and …”

“And I was there, ordering a pint... “

“And you kept texting me.”

“I got you to text back didn't I?” - he asked with a cocky smile on his face.

“Yeah, I have no idea how you could sit there with people around and text me... like that.”

“Come on, it was what? A good 20 minutes before you gave up and let me in at the back?”

“I have no idea how we avoided running into anyone.”

“We wanted it too bad.” - smiled Robert. It was true, and Aaron knew it. They were always hopeless when it came to the other.

“Still sad we didn't have a proper team?” - asked Aaron smirking putting this whole big drama behind them.

“No, it would've got ruined either way... thanks to this little intervention we didn't have to keep listening to Bob... he's not very good at that. In times like that, I miss Frank.”

“Yeah, we did quite alright in that pub quiz, yeah?” - asked Aaron remembering the last time Robert talked him into it.

“We knew each other so well... I'd like to think it's even better now.”

“I'm sure it is.”

“So we get to show that to everyone next time... when we're gonna destroy the whole competition? Right? You promised.” - he said reminding Aaron.

“Yeah, I know.” - he sighed. - “Or we could just stay in bed... all day... you know.” - he tried.

“Yeah, nice try.” - he said. - “If we win I'll let you do anything to me for two weeks.” - he said knowing it would spark his husband's interests.

“Anything? For two weeks?”

“Anything... in the bedroom. We'll talk about the rest later.” - he winked.

“So what now? I don't suppose you fancy going back? Because sure as hell I'm not.”

“No, how about I go grab us some beers, and you put on some Top Gear re-run.”

“Haven't we watched those already like... twice?”

“We can watch a document if you'd like that better... I actually have a...”

“No... no Top Gear will be fine.” - said Aaron interrupting him, while Robert went to the kitchen to get their drinks. He couldn't stop grinning. The pub quiz might have been a bit of a failure but their night will certainly not be one.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoy this little something. It was meant to be a short little fic, but as you see I couldn't stop myself so it's a bit long. Anyway, I needed to have Robert in this situation, I told you I'd write whenever I get inspired so here it is. 
> 
> Please leave a comment, that would be very much appreciated!


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